


Richie Tozier: Entertainer

by scritch



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Eddie Kaspbrak Lives, Epistolary, Facebook, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Instagram, Interviews, M/M, New Media, Post-Canon, References to Depression, Richie Focused, Swearing, Twitter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:27:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24301339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scritch/pseuds/scritch
Summary: Richie Tozier [v]@TRASHMOUTHGood news! I don’t have a drug addiction.08:17 AM, October 1, 2016 via TweetdeckRichie Tozier [v]@TRASHMOUTHBad news: I’m back… But this time, there’s some truly horrible trauma and a diagnosis of depression!08:17 AM, October 1, 2016 via Tweetdeck
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 16
Kudos: 286





	Richie Tozier: Entertainer

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't repost or reupload the contents of this work to other sites, including Goodreads. Feel free to share amongst friends, though!

**toziernews** reblogged **trashmouthdaily**

> Hey there… all you fans of Trash! I’m sorry, but this isn’t a fun update for anyone…   
>  I’m sure you all saw my less than stellar performance on stage recently. I know there’s been a lot of speculation amongst you guys. I can’t say much about it, but the truth is that my personal life has seen some pretty big upheaval. As a result, I’ve had to make a personal decision: all upcoming dates for 2016 and 2017 tour have been cancelled. All tickets purchased will be refunded to the cardholder.  
>  This wasn’t an easy decision to make, and I’m so sorry to anyone who was looking forward to coming out and seeing me. I promise that more will be explained when the time is right.  
>  Thanks again for all your support over the years, couldn’t have done it without you all.
> 
> Xoxo,  
>  Trashmouth

Source: **trashmouthdaily  
**3,218 notes

*

**TMZ [v]** _@TMZ  
_Comedian Richie “Trashmouth” Tozier Cancels Tour, Fans Suspect Drug Addiction  
8:00 PM, August 24 2016, via SocialFlow

*

**What’s happening on Twitter?**

Italy: 6.2 magnitude earthquake strikes central Italy, killing over 250

Proxima B: astronomers announce discovery of Earth like planet

#RichieTozierisoverparty

#NottingHillCarnival

Richie Tozier drugs

*

**fan of trash** _@turtella_1990  
_idk why people are getting mad with richie tozier for taking time off / out of the public eye to deal w a drug addiction? like… smh y’all are terrible on this site. fuck the #RichieTozierisoverparty hastag.  
4:18 PM, August 29 2016, via Twitter for iPad

 **mike wazowski** _@saraewens  
_@turtella_1990 you do realize using the tag boosts it even further? but anyway calm down lol. he’s a subpar comedian who does nothing but tell misogynistic jokes for a living.. the man can choke  
4:21 PM, August 29 2016, via Twitter for Android

 **fan of trash** _@turtella_1990  
_@saraewens GOD its clearly a character hes adopted for his stage persona??? it’s like anthony jeselnik… ur not supposed to take it all seriously. i cant believe its 2016 and people still don’t understand satire  
4:21 PM, August 29 2016, via Twitter for iPad

 **mike wazowski** _@saraewens  
_@turtella_1990 wow it’s literally pathetic the excuses that people will make for mediocre white men these days…. i’m tired  
4:22 PM, August 29 2016, via Twitter for Android

*

**‘ _HAS COMEDIAN RICHIE ‘TRASHMOUTH’ TOZIER FINALLY SEEN THE END OF HIS CAREER?’  
_**By SARAH JOHN for TMZ ** _  
_ Published **10:00 AM, September 15, 2016

Comedian **Richie Tozier,** known as, “Trashmouth” has been missing from the public eye since his now infamous performance where he forgot his own name on stage… Since then, Trashmouth cancelled all shows for his upcoming tour due to “upheaval” in his personal life.

Fans have long speculated that Tozier suffered from issues with substance, and this cancellation of the tour seems to be the final nail in the coffin. Although there’s been no evidence of Tozier checking into any rehab facilities in Los Angeles, where he lives… TMZ suspects that he might have moved to be closer to his father. 

*

**Richie Tozier [v]** _@TRASHMOUTH  
_Good news and bad news, folks.  
08:17 AM, October 1 2016, via Tweetdeck

 **Richie Tozier [v]** _@TRASHMOUTH  
_Good news! I don’t have a drug addiction.   
08:17 AM, October 1 2016, via Tweetdeck

 **Richie Tozier [v]** _@TRASHMOUTH  
_Bad news: I’m back… But this time, there’s some truly horrible trauma and a diagnosis of depression!  
08:17 AM, October 1 2016, via Tweetdeck

 **Richie Tozier [v]** _@TRASHMOUTH  
_I will post a better explanation soon, folks. In the meantime, thanks for streaming my Netflix special and keeping me in the public eye with all your conspiracy theories.  
08:19 AM, October 1 2016, via Tweetdeck

*

**_‘OKAY… BUT WHERE THE HECK WAS RICHIE TOZIER!?’  
_**By ELODIE MARCUS for BUZZFEED CELEBRITY **  
Published:** 3:00 PM, October 1, 2016

Richie Tozier, commonly known under the stage name ‘Trashmouth’ returned to Twitter today after months away from the public eye and fans are SHOOK!

Controversies have surrounded the comedian since he first started to gain traction for his celebrity impressions and offensive humor. Fans tend to claim he’s satirizing the comedy so prevalent in the 80s, leaning on pop culture references and misogynistic punchlines.

However, critics say that the “Trashmouth” character is too heavy handed and he’s not clear enough when he’s exaggerating the persona. Critical opinion didn’t have much impact on his career though! He’s seen supreme success, with just over a million Twitter followers.

More than just critics, though, rumors of substance abuse and drug addiction have plagued his career since the beginning.

“I’m not gonna f*cking say if I have or haven’t done drugs… Like, yeah, I’ve f*cking done drugs, but who f*cking hasn’t? I’ve got a lot of shit going on in my life, man.” He said, when asked by one interviewer in 2011, causing many to assume he was on drugs during the interview.

In July, he did a really bad performance on stage, where he forgot his own name and then walked off before the end. He hasn’t been seen in public since.

Today, he finally came back with a series of Tweets. “Good news and bad news folks… Good news! I don’t have a drug addiction… Bad news: I’m back… But this time there’s some truly horrible trauma and a diagnosis of depression!”

*

**trashmouth** posted on Instagram _  
_ “Fucking hell… I really wasn’t expecting this attention. I know what Hollywood is like, and all too quickly can you fall out of favor with the public, and to be honest, I never thought I had much favor to begin with. I’m surprised so many of you stuck around. I’m really fucking honored, too. I’m sure you’ve all seen the video of me losing my mind on stage by now, but in case you haven’t, there’s a link in my Instagram bio, just for shits and giggles. I know that I’ve never had the cleanest public image (probably something to do with all the dick jokes I tell… Maybe something to do with the fact I regularly sleep in my jeans). I know a lot of you think that I’ve got some substance abuse issues… But, in all honesty, the real reason for my tragic fucking on stage failure is a lot less sexy Hollywood than that. The picture above is of me and one of my best friends, Stan, when we were 13. Stan was the MAN. I mean, don’t get me wrong - we were a group of fucking losers, and I used to joke that Stan was the biggest loser of all. Stan never cared, though. He was the mom friend. Hell, Stan was probably more of a mom to me than my actual mom. (Sorry, mom.) Stan leant me his comics and never complained when he didn’t get them back. Stan made me laugh so hard I snorted. Stan was the only person who could beat me at Street Fighter…  
And, a few months ago, just before I got on stage, I got a call that Stan had taken his own life... We hadn’t spoken in a while, and the last time we did, some pretty fucked up shit was going on with me. Hell, some pretty fucked up shit has been going on with me for the past 27 years. But I know if Stan could see me now, he’d have some choice words to say to me. He always was the best at calling me out on my shit (except maybe @barsh), and I’m sorry it took me so long to listen to him. So, in honor of Staniel the Maniel, here’s to not being fucking scared anymore. Fuck IT to hell. Fuck IT forever. I’ve loved you my whole life, Stan… even when I thought I forgot how. I wish I could have told you one last time. (PS. If you read this horrendously long caption, thanks. Pour one out for my best fucking friend.)” _30m_

 **mikehanloon** commented  
“Rest in peace, Stan. We’ll miss you forever.” _26m_

 **edwardkaspbrak** commented  
“@trashmouth Stan did complain when you took his comics, he just always complained to ME.” _10m_

 **edwardkaspbrak** commented  
“@trashmouth would give anything to have him complain to me again.”

 **billdenbrough** , **ben.hanscom** and **barsh** like **trashmouth** ’s photo

*

**_“COMEDIAN RICHIE TOZIER’S ABSENCE EXPLAINED”  
_**By GLORY MADDOCK for BBC ENTERTAINMENT  
**Published:** 7:00 AM, 02 October, 2016

American comedian Richie “Trashmouth” Tozier has returned from his extended absence.

After an on-stage standup performance which saw Tozier forget even his own name on stage, the 40 year old comedian retreated from public view. Tozier cancelled all upcoming dates on his tour _Trashmouth_ , citing a personal emergency.

With no official reason given and ongoing controversies in Tozier’s professional career, many speculated that the drastic action was the result of Tozier finally losing a battle to drug addiction and substance abuse.

However, yesterday morning, Tozier finally broke his silence on why he’d disappeared, with a series of Tweets and a later Instagram post. The Tweets featured Tozier’s trademark levity, mentioning “Good news and bad news.”

“I don’t have a drug addiction,” He Tweeted. The comedian then went on to clarify, “Just some truly horrible trauma and a diagnosis of depression!”

His later Instagram post clarified that the main reason for the tour’s cancellation wasn’t anything, “sexy Hollywood”. He had struggled on stage due to the recent news of the death of a close personal friend’s suicide. On Instagram, Tozier uploaded a picture of him and his friend in youth, with a long caption that paid tribute to his late friend’s life, ending, “Pour one out for my best f****** friend.”

Tozier is yet to make any statements on whether or not he’ll be returning to standup for the foreseeable future, although many fans have Tweeted their support for the comedian, telling him to take any time he needs to grieve.

*

**Richie Tozier [v]** _@TRASHMOUTH  
_To everyone that’s been tweeting me the last few days… Thank you so much. It’s been a fucking difficult few months… I can’t lie, I wish I’d had a drug addiction. Anything would have been better than losing Stan. These guys help a little, though.  
07:18 PM, 06 October 2016, via Twitter for iPhone

 **Image Bot** _@IMG_BOT_  
@TRASHMOUTH [Image ID: 2 pictures. 1st pic is a polaroid; 7 kids are grinning, 6 boys and 1 red haired girl. The 2nd image is 6 adults shoved on a sofa, 5 boys + one red haired woman, amongst them is writer Bill Denbrough, comedian Richie Tozier + fashion mogul Beverly Marsh.]  
07:19 PM, 06 October 2016, via Tweetdeck  
  


*

**billdenbrough** posted on Instagram  
“Meet my best friends. #LosersClub #Reunited” _43m_

 **edwardraspbrak** commented  
“Bill why did you pick THIS picture? This is terrible. It looks like @trashmouth is sticking his finger up my nose and @barsh is basically dribbling. I can’t believe we ever put you in charge of anything” _17m_

 **trashmouth** commented  
“@edwardkaspbrak that’s not the only thing i’ll stick up your nose eds ;;;;)))))” _17m_

 **barsh** commented  
“@edwardkaspbrak, @trashmouth, haven’t we all put up with your flirting enough?” _14m_

 **barsh** commented  
“Though I’m sorry @billdenbrough, @edwardkaspbrak is right. This picture is terrible.” _14m_

 **billdenbrough** commented  
“@edwardkaspbrak, @barsh, @trashmouth I’m NOT deleting it, it’s funny and it’s got loads of likes! Bevs is right on the flirting though you guys.” _11m_

 **ben.hanscom** , **mikehanloon** and **audra.p.denbrough** like **billdenbrough** ’s photo  
  


*  
  


**it's HOT in topeeeeka** _@gremlinvore_  
Lol WHY am i obsessed w a group of 40 yr olds???? #losersclub  
7:59 PM, 09 October 2016, via Twitter Web App  
  


**hannah elen** _@haaannah_elen_  
@gremlinvore FUCK i know but it's like???? it's just so nice to see.... mayb this isnt the darkest timeline after all  
8:01 PM, 09 October 2016, via Twitter for Android   
  


**meg clarke** _@ohRATZ_ _  
_ @gremlinvore, @haaannah_elen ok the loser's club are cute and all but we could literally end up w trump as a president y'all are fucking stupid if you think this isn't the darkest timeline.   
8:05 PM, 09 October 2016, via Twitter for Android 

*

**Richie Tozier [v]** _@TRASHMOUTH  
_Trying to write some new material but spent all my energy on @EdwardKaspbrak’s mom last night  
09:52 AM, 14 October 2016, via Twitter Web App

 **Eddie Kaspbrak** _@EdwardKaspbrak  
_Beep fucking beep @TRASHMOUTH  
09:53 AM, 14 October 2016, via Twitter for iPhone

*

**_‘THE ‘LOSERS CLUB’ PROVES THAT THERE ARE MOMENTS OF JOY IN EVERY TRAGEDY’  
_**By JAMES ALISTER for GUARDIAN OPINON  
**Published:** 17:87, 27 October 2016

If you are a frequent Twitter user, like me, then I’m sure you’re already aware of comedian Richie “Trashmouth” Tozier’s months long disappearing act after bombing on stage.

It was the sort of public humiliation that a celebrity hasn’t taken part in for a long time, and it created a media storm, the likes of which haven’t been quite so strong since Britney Spears shaved her head. Speculation ran high, people prepared themselves for a good old Hollywood story of rock bottom and rebuilding. We’ve seen it time and time again, except this time – it was different.

When Richie Tozier finally put himself back in the public eye, he wasn’t talking about the road to recovery, or his inner demons. Instead, Tozier was talking about getting a diagnosis of depression. He was talking about the loss of a childhood friend.

He was talking about grief.

This is a marked departure from anything I can remember seeing in Hollywood for a long time. Los Angeles loves a bootstrap story, because isn’t that the American dream? The idea that you could come from nothing and pull your way to the top. It’s why we all lap up a recovery story. Why a comeback is so easy for stars like Downey Junior and Robbie Williams. Yes, Hollywood loves a recovery story, but they _hate_ a grief story.

Grief is a personal, messy thing. No one can really predict how they’ll react when push comes to shove. How you’ll react when you’re standing in that hospital room, watching someone you love in pain. When my own mother died, I didn’t cry for a whole month. I thought I was broken, until her favourite song came on the car radio and I had to pull over because I was crying so much, I couldn’t see the road anymore.

There is an ugliness in grief, a rawness in grief. Hollywood doesn’t like to show it because it represents the most animal part of us, the bit in our monkey brain that’s terrified one day we’re going to die.

Yet, as I type this – it feels disingenuous, both to Tozier, and to everyone else who has suffered a similar loss. We are not defined by our grief. That is not to say that the grief ever goes away. Instead, it becomes a part of us, a small hole in the very fabric of our being that we must learn to grow around. It is this, then – that becomes our definition. The way that we grow, the people that we reach for in this time of vulnerability. 

This past month has seen Tozier’s social media feeds all flooded with pictures of his friends. Pictures from when they were children, and pictures of them now. These images have gained significant attention, partly because the group contains the highly regarded horror writer, William 'Bill' Denbrough and well-known fashion mogul, Beverly Marsh. However, part of the attention is almost certainly the connection to Tozier himself. 

Discourse about whether or not Tozier’s “Trashmouth” comedian persona was a satire of 80s comedy figures always flowed strong, in part because Tozier himself never engaged with it. Notoriously hard to get an interview with (although, perhaps not surprising after a stream of messy ones in 2011), the man was both incredibly successful and almost entirely unknown. In an era where it is so easy to know everything about everyone, Tozier’s private life could only be gleaned through select few jokes on stage.

Now, Tozier is posting pictures from his Los Angeles flat. He’s engaging with fans online in a way he never did before, and he is constantly, _constantly_ talking to his friends.

The group – who have been calling themselves the ‘Losers Club’ – all seem to have grown up together in the small town of Derry, Maine. The pictures of them as children are saturated and faded from time, charming in their own way. With eighties nostalgia running so rampant (thank you, _Stranger Things_ ), it’s no surprise that people have found delight in the waist-high shorts and Walkman’s that Tozier and his friends are sporting.

“We all reconnected after Stan’s death,” Tozier Tweeted last week, “I turned up to the funeral, and saw them all… It was like being 14 again. Felt ridiculous to feel so much joy at the same time I was crying my f****** eyes out…”

And, really – that’s the crux of all this. Tozier has made a successful comeback, because he’s shown us there’s always the way to find joy, even when you’re crying.

*

**trashmouth** posted on Instagram  
“I’m aware that my social media is turning into that of a 60 year old divorced mom, sharing constant updates about her kids that she’s just SO PROUD OF, but I am JUST SO PROUD of my favorite hypochondriac, @edwardkaspbrak for trusting that I’d washed my hands well enough to try my cooking tonight. #Domestic” _2h_

 **ben.hanscom** commented  
“God, you guys are worse than @barsh and I.” _2h_

 **edwardkaspbrak** commented  
“@ben.hanscom, @barsh, Okay, fuck you, Ben. That is NOT even true. You guys are DISGUSTING.” _2h_

 **edwardkaspbrak** commented  
“@ben.hanscom, @barsh, Which is to say I’m happy for you both.” _2h_

 **mikehanloon** , **barsh** and **billdenbrough** like **trashmouth** ’s photo

*

**Richie Tozier [v]** _@TRASHMOUTH  
_Wow, who’d have thought that three months on pills would actually make me feel BETTER, not worse? #TheyreAntidepressants #StillNotADrugAddict  
02:28 PM, 04 November 2016, via Twitter for iPhone

 **Richie Tozier [v]** _@TRASHMOUTH  
_This was a point I’d never thought I’d get to. I’ve been living 20+ years of my life in a fucking fog of mental illness and shitty, shitty decisions.  
02:28 PM, 04 November 2016, via Twitter for iPhone

 **Richie Tozier [v]** _@TRASHMOUTH  
_So, in an attempt to move away from shitty decisions, I have a confession… A lot of my material on my past two tours was given to me by ghostwriters. Some of it was scenarios, some of it was written word for word.  
02:29 PM, 04 November 2016, via Twitter for iPhone

 **Richie Tozier [v]** _@TRASHMOUTH  
_These ghostwriters are, really, a lot of what I owe my current levels of success to. The reason I never wanted to comment on my work is because it wasn’t ‘’’my work’’’. I know that’s fucking disappointing to hear. I guess I’m cancelled again.  
02:30 PM, 04 November 2016, via Twitter for iPhone

 **Richie Tozier [v]** _@TRASHMOUTH  
_In case anyone is wondering, I am working on new material. This one is much smaller, much more niche, and entirely my own. I know that doesn’t fix anything, but it’s the best I can do.  
02:30 PM, 04 November 2016, via Twitter for iPhone

*

**What’s happening on Twitter?**

Paris Agreement: climate change legislation comes into action

Breeders’ Cup: Day one commences

#RichieTozierisOVERparty

Ghostwriter

#Replacesongnameswithfart

Richie Tozier

*

**Richie Tozier [v]** _@TRASHMOUTH_  
RT “@edwardkaspbrak I fucking knew one day we’d have proof you’re the biggest loser of us all. #RichieTozierisOVERparty” I can feel your love from across the room, Eddie bear []  
03:04 PM, 04 November 2016, via Twitter Web App

 **Eddie Kaspbrak** _@edwardkaspbrak  
_@TRASHMOUTH Fuck. You.  
03:06 PM, 04 November 2016, via Twitter for iPhone

 **Richie Tozier [v]** _@TRASHMOUTH  
_@edwardkaspbrak Maybe later ;;;)  
03:18 PM, 04 November 2016, via Twitter Web App

*

**_“GHOSTWRITING AND MORE: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RICHIE TOZIER”  
_**By FAYE STERLING for ROLLING STONE  
**Published:** 10:00 AM, 30 November 2016

Richie Tozier agrees to this interview, on one condition. “We have to do it in my own flat,” He tells me, “I’ll chicken out, otherwise. You have to corner me in.”

Despite the ominous nature of his words, Tozier is nothing if not welcoming when I knock on his door. The night before he’d texted me a large amount of exclamation points, with the question of what my favorite types of cookies were buried somewhere in-between. At first, I’d been concerned – I’m here under the premise of exploring Tozier’s controversial and complex stand up history – not to write a fluff piece about how nice the man who bought me cookies is. My fears are unfounded, however, when Tozier slaps down a packet of cheap, _Maryland Cookies_ and tells me that’s all I’m getting.

“Your favorite ones were, like, way too fancy,” He tells me, rubbing at his stubble and laughing, self-deprecatingly, “I sort of didn’t realize there _were_ so many types of cookie.”

Despite this, Tozier is charismatic enough that I find myself enjoying his company anyway. He has a frenetic energy to him, constantly standing up, touching and moving things in the kitchen we’re both sat in. The apartment we’re stood in is tastefully decorated – perhaps more so than you might expect from someone with a patterned shirt collection quite like Tozier’s. When I comment on it, he shrugs.

“I’ll be honest,” He says, “I didn’t really look at the place when I moved in. I just got my first paycheck and cashed it in. I could probably afford something bigger now, but…” He trails off, looking around. “Well,” He says, after a lengthy pause, “It’s grown on me.”

Tozier’s career has been marred with ups and downs. Controversial and hot headed in the early 2000s, he shot to fame after hosting a late-night radio show – becoming known for his slew of one-liners and celebrity impersonations.

“Those were actually all me,” He says, laughing when I ask him, “I’ve always been good at one-liners, and I’m fine when I have someone else to bounce off. I guess a lot of my natural comedy is very reactive, talking to my friends, arguing with people… That’s where I shine. So, when I started to get booked for a lot of longer and longer slots, it became a real issue. I was repressing a fucking minefield of shit, man….”

“A lot of comedians, they rely on their childhood, or their friendships, or their romantic relationships as a base for comedy, but I didn’t have any of that. That was where the ghostwriters came in.”

Tozier’s Twitter confession at the beginning of this month caused an onslaught of anger from fans, fellow comedians and onlookers alike. I ask if it’s been difficult, being the subject of such hatred, and Tozier blinks at me.

“You know,” He says, “It sounds like a lie when I say that it doesn’t bother me too much, but honestly? It doesn’t bother me too much.” He sighs, then, sinking further into the chair he’s perched in across the kitchen island from me, “After all the stuff that I’ve gone through this year… Having some people get mad at me on Twitter isn’t the worst thing that could happen.”

Stuck to Tozier’s fridge with a touristy Florida State magnet is the picture he Instagrammed, the one of him and his late friend, Stan. When I ask about the loss, Tozier’s eyes tighten, and his fidgeting becomes much more pronounced.

“I don’t want to talk too much about it,” He says, “Partly because it’s really fucking difficult, but also because it’s not my place to tell Stan’s story for the world. I loved him, and now he’s gone… I’d give anything to change that, but,” He laughs, the look on his face feels uncomfortably intimate, “Well, I can’t, can I? It fucked everything up.”

He looks up at me, then, eyes serious. “Can I amend that?” He asks me, and I nod. and says, “That’s what my therapist likes to call ‘ _catastrophizing’_ ,” he finger quotes at me, “It didn’t fuck everything up. There’s a lot of good in my life right now. Sure, people are pissed at me for hiring ghostwriters, and people are pissed at me because they feel like everything they saw was a lie, but Stan’s death… Well, it makes me and the rest of the Losers ( _Editor’s note: Tozier requested that ‘Loser’ be capitalized_ ) hold on that much tighter to each other. We fell out once before, that won’t happen again.”

Tozier is, of course, referring to his group of friends. Made up of him, horror writer Bill Denborough, fashion influencer Beverly Marsh, and three of their other friends, they seem an unlikely combination, but Tozier doesn’t see it that way.

“We all grew up together in Derry,” He says, “It’s that small-town mentality, you know? You fight for who you know, you fight for your territory. It felt like me and the Losers spent our lives fighting, it’s only now that we’re all learning to just…” He trails off, eyes staring at something I can’t pick up on, “We’re leaning to let go.”

Tozier mentioned on Twitter that he’s working on new material, though when I question him about it in person, he gets cagey.

“It’s very much still a work-in-progress,” He says, “It’s a huge, huge departure from stuff that I’ve done previously. I told you that I was repressing shit, before?” He asks, and waits for me to nod before he continues, “Well… The truth is, I’m gay. I’ve known my whole life, but where we grew up wasn’t exactly accepting. Even moving out of an environment like that… That shit sticks with you.” He laughs, hollowly, “Guess comedians are famous for taking their trauma and making it funny.”

“I don’t think I’d be ready to talk about it all, if things stayed the way they were, but shortly after Stan, Eddie [ _Editor's note: another of the 'Losers'_ ] got hurt. It was pretty bad. I guess we all just have really shitty luck! Anyway, he was touch and go for a while, in the hospital for honestly... far too long. But, I’ve been in love with Eddie since I was 13. Looking at him lying there, I just couldn’t fucking hold it in anymore. I told him.”

Tozier looks up, and his smile is wide and genuine for the first time this whole interview, “Turns out he felt the same.”

On my way out the door, Tozier shoves the pack of biscuits in my hand. “Take them, please,” He says, “I’d say it was so everyone knows how nice I am, but really it’s because Eddie’s started worrying about my cholesterol.”

Richie Tozier is quite unlike everything that you’d expect from his years on the comedy scene, and yet watching him doesn’t feel any different at all. His charisma is enough that ten minutes in his presence and you want to absolve him of every morally dubious joke he’s told. I can’t vouch for his new material – no one can, yet – but, I can say that I’m excited to see where he ends up. You never know, self-aware and traumatized might actually be what the comedy scene needs right now.

*

**Richie Tozier [v]** _@TRASHMOUTH_  
Thanks so much to @RollingStone for letting me say my piece... http://rollingstone.com/ritchie-tozier-interview  
10:18 AM, 30 November 2016, via Twitter for iPhone   
  


**Eddie Kaspbrak** _@edwardkaspbrak_  
@TRASHMOUTH, thanks for only taking 27 years to pull your head out of your ass.   
10:19 AM, 30 November 2016, via Twitter for iPhone 

**Richie Tozier [v]** _@TRASHMOUTH_  
@edwardkaspbrak you're RIGHT Eds! Would much rather have my head up YOURS instead. ((I love you))  
10:22 AM, 30 November 2016, via Twitter for iPhone

 **Eddie Kaspbrak** _@edwardkaspbrak_  
@TRASHMOUTH You're fucking disgusting. I hate you so much. ((I love you too.))   
1:43 PM, 30 November 2016, via Twitter for iPhone

*

**richiefckntozier** reblogged **trashmouthofficial**

> Hey there, to all of you who stuck around (and all of you who just arrived.) My Rolling Stone interview got way more attention than I was ever fucking expecting… Eddie kindly requests that people stop asking him about our personal lives when he's trying to buy dinner. (I encourage it, he's CUTE when he's flustered.)  
>  Anyway, I’m sure you’ve all been holding your breath… And waiting… And waiting… And, I can finally announce that I've finally managed to become an actual fucking comedian!   
>  My new show **Career Suicide** will be touring 2019-2020. Tickets are available for pre-order on my website, and 70% of all the ticket funds are going to the **National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)** , and, before you get on my case... The other 30% is purely covering the cost of venues and tour staff. I'm not making any money off my failures this time!  
>  (Also, I know what you're thinking, and I can't imagine anyone finding the show's title funnier than Stan would have. I can only hope he'd laugh at the rest of my jokes, as well.)

Source: **trashmouthofficial  
**19,372 notes

**Author's Note:**

> Whoo boy... If you've had the unfortunate expierence of reading a fic by me before, you'll know that I've always been obsessed with writing epistolary fics. I love getting to use the blend of media in order to tell a story, and I love combining elements to work around the naturally restrictive nature of it. ANYWAY, I watched It (and Chapter Two) a couple of days ago and it has since Taken Over. The only Stephen King novel I've ever finsihed is, for some reason, "The Dead Zone", so this is entirely based off their characterisations in the movie. 
> 
> Some of the concepts in this are inspired by [hellotailor](http://archiveofourown.org/users/hellotailor)'s truly incredible fic, [Richie Tozier: The Manchild Tour](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21185762), including Richie referencing Stan's death as what predated his breakdown, rather than mentioning anything to do with killer clowns. If you haven't read it yet - _please_ check it out! One of the best epistolary fics I've read in a looong time. 
> 
> Some (boring) notes:  
> \- All the publications mentioned are real, but the journalists are not. Hopefully Googling their names doesn't link you to anyone!  
> \- Each news story in this fic is an exact number of words, for example, 150 words, 1000 words, etc, etc. This was common when journalists were printing stories, as it ensured they could fit everything on the page. Nowadays it's not as important, as most news is web based and they don't need to worry - but I enjoy the creative challenge. (I have a degree in journalism... what the fuck else am I gonna use it for?!)  
> \- The Guardian is the only news article that uses 24h time, because it's a British newspaper and that's more common here. All of the others are primarily American based (the BBC has American branches), so they use 12 hour time.  
> \- Every Tweet in this fic is under the maximum length a Tweet can be (280 characters, including spaces)  
> \- The dates and "via" is formatted the same way Tweets are if you click onto one specific tweet.  
> \- Seeing a "[v]" beside a person's name on Twitter means that they're a verified account.  
> \- All of the "What's happening" Twitter moments are blended with actual events that were occuring in the world during the time that the story was set, down to the very day that the story was taking place.  
> \- The maximum length that an Instagram caption can be is 2,200 characters (including spaces). Ritchie's long caption about Stan is 2,160. I had to cut it down.  
> \- Eddie changes his Twitter name from "Edward Kaspbrak" to "Eddie Kaspbrack" in the fic, around when he starts to become more comfortable with being associated with Richie and they settle together more. He doesn't change his handles primarily out of laziness, but also a bit because it annoys Richie.  
> \- The comedian mentioned early on is "Anthony Jeselnik", specifically calling his comedy special "Thoughts and Prayers" to mind, which is very black comedy.  
> \- I genuinely found the most difficult thing about this fic writing "favorite" and "color" instead of "favourite" and "colour"... Americanising my work was SO HARD!
> 
> If you want to find me on tumblr, you can find me [here](http://eiqhties.tumblr.com).


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